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Read about our Blues in the Schools here
| Seen a blues artist lately? Want to share your opinion of their performance with the rest of us? A great way to help promote blues artists and venues is to let us know where you've been and who you've heard. Just email to Rick at the address above. |
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REVIEW
- "The Great Willy Mammoth"
Bill Durst
Question:
What is larger than life bearded and
prowls the swamp wailing the blues?
Answer:
The Great Willy Mammoth. Which coincidently, is the name of the latest
CD from the incomparable
Bill Durst. To say that
this recording has been highly anticipated is not only cliché’, but a
huge understatement. Every one who knows, enjoys, and comes out to see
him has been waiting, and waiting for the release of his latest work. I
am so happy to be able to say that “It’s here, it’s here” |
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REVIEW - Blues in the Schools with Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick, April 16, 17 2009 Bruce County Blues is committed to bring professional blues musicians to area schools to teach the students about the blues and to provide a rich learning experience with live music. This year our featured artists were Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick who performed for the students of Port Elgin-Saugeen Central, St. Joseph's and Northport School (all in Port Elgin) and Huron Heights, St. Anthony`s and KTTPS (all in Kincardine). As well as entertaining and teaching 1500 students over these two days, Rick and Suzie also performed at the Kincardine Centre for the Arts in the evening of April 17 which was a fundraiser for the Kincardine Theatre Guild.
``Rick Fines has such an ability to cast his spirit like a net and capture the hearts of the audience. He sings with such expression and passion - I was totally captivated and inspired. I was positively weeping in the Carol Shields song - just a simple song sung with serious intent. I loved it! I love the way Suzie handles that guitar of hers - leaving steps for other girls to follow in and singing with all of her heart. It was a wonderful show...`` - Raylene
``Excellent night! I've heard Rick &
Suzie before at the music fest. enjoyed them then, enjoyed them last
night, both entertaining and educational.
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REVIEW - The International Blues Challenge, Memphis, TN
The
International Blues Challenge
is hosted by
The Blues Foundation
in Memphis, TN at the end of January, early February each year. This
year was the 25th IBC ran from February 4th- 7th, 2009. The world's
largest gathering of blues acts represents an international search by
The Blues Foundation and its affiliated organizations for the blues band
and blues solo/duo most deserving of taking their act to the
international stage. One hundred bands and 60 solo/duo acts competed,
coming from all over the United States, Canada and a half dozen other
countries. (A highly entertaining blues band from Poland made it to the
finals this year!). Musicians and fans fill 16 blues venues up and down
historical Beale Street beginning at 5:00pm for the semi-finals on
Thursday and Friday, with one winner emerging from each club to advance
to the finals held at the beautiful Orpheum Theatre on Saturday. Bands
compete in 10 of the clubs while solo/duo acts compete in the other 6.
In addition, for the first time ever, the event included a Youth
Showcase and an International Showcase on Friday afternoon. As well,
private record labels and booking agencies host showcases on Thursday
and Friday afternoons prior the start of competition. It all adds up to
a lot of great blues music up and down a three bock stretch that is
cordon off just for pedestrians. And a good thing to as the whole area
is completely licensed meaning you can carry your drinks from
performance to performance. |
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REVIEW
-
The Erin McCallum Band, The
Queen's Bush, Hanover, November 15, 2008 "Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?". I faced this challenging question a couple times the other night on the wall of the men's room at The Queen's Bush in Hanover. But it wasn't this puzzle that had the greatest impression on me, it was the talented young blues artist performing in the main room. This was our first opportunity to hear Erin McCallum and her band (listed on the board as Roadtrip but simply introduced as The Erin McCallum Band) and we had to make the hour trek over to Hanover in one of our first winter blasts up here this year. Yet, the three hours spent in the comfortable Queen's Bush and the incredible talents on stage were most rewarding! First we want to acknowledge this venue that is bravely scheduling weekly live entertainment. With an open kitchen, clean and attractive decor and a most friendly wait staff, we compliment The Queen's Bush and expect to return soon. But to Erin. We were given a heads up about her by local radio personality Mike Anderson of Bluewater Radio who interviewed her a few weeks back. We were dimly aware of her recent appearance at The Waterfront Festival last summer and The Beaches International Jazz Festival the year before but it was mostly Mike's recommendation that drove us inland. That and the fact that we really wanted to hear a lady sing the blues! Erin didn't disappoint. She gave us a solid mix of swinging blues, (opening with Flip, Flop and Fly) and some of her originals that make up her second CD Feel This being released this month. Her lively composition Two Steps Forward came early on her playlist and it's the opening track of the CD. She is backed by a strong rhythm section of Joe Pace on drums and Ronald Lombard on bass. Her lead guitarist on this night, and on the CD that we picked up, is Trevor Mackenzie and he is, simply put, incredible! While we enjoy every one of the songs she sang (and offers up on the 10 track, all originals CD Feel This), we have to admit those ballads with Trevor's piercing guitar solos made us stand up for more. The title track Feel This, Through My Soul, Justified and Home are all examples from the CD you'll want to hear. Erin's talents have earned the band an Ontario Independent Music Award "Best Blues Band" nomination in 2008 for her first CD "5 am Blues" and there's likely more industry recognition ahead for her. Erin and her bandmates come from Owen Sound, Collingwood and other points east of here but based on this introduction to her we're hoping (and planning) to bring her west to the coast and share her with the blues fans of Bruce County. |
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| REVIEW - Scott Holt Band wsg The Riverside Blues Band, The Sutton Park Inn, Oct. 4, 2008 | |
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"What a Great Show……I am still in shock. Great job and thanks. BCB organized an amazing and successful show." - David & Donna Whittaker
"We had a blast at the show. Keep up the
good work. I will become a new member.....just a Bruce County boy living
in Grey!!!! Enjoy the shots." - Bill Black "It's pretty hard to come back to the 'business world' when the music's still flyin' in your head..... but here we are, back to reality. Thanks again for having us on Saturday to open for Scott Holt. I was a BLAST !!" - Steve Cuneo, Riverside Blues Band
Blues fans in Bruce County and places further away had a rare opportunity to see and hear one of the great blues guitarists on the road today in a much smaller venue than would normally be the case. The Scott Holt Band played to a packed house (about 250 people) at the Sutton Park Inn, a much more intimate club than his usual festival stage. While many in the house may have been seeing Scott for the first time, just as many were fans who had likely seen the band at blues festivals and in some cases even as long ago as the early 90's when Scott toured with Buddy Guy. The influence of Buddy Guy, who Scott traveled with for 10 years is readily event in his stage performance. Scott certainly plays guitar with the same virtuosity as Guy and plays it just as loud. He also is very respectful of his fans and if the house is energized by his playing, then he'll keep the energy up. Fans at the Sutton were treated to two full 90 minute sets that the band later admitted had no set playlist but rather just played off of the enthusiasm of the house. What a professional! (and a challenge for his rhythm section Richard Sanders on bass and Marshall Weaver on drums as you never know where Scott's taking you next). Scott is a student of Buddy Guy and he honours his mentor with a recent CD, "A Tribute to Buddy Guy, From Lettsworth to Legend" which fortunately for his fans he brought to Kincardine. Many of the songs we heard came from this CD as well as Scott's other recordings. But as good as his CD's are, nothing beats seeing this tight band live. Just like his t-shirts proclaim, "Loud is Good!", The Scott Holt Band plays full volume. But, just as often as he'll rattle the rafters, Scott can bring the whole room deathly quiet, soft and gentle with lyrical notes and beautiful ballads. It's a roller coaster evening that completely exhausts both the band and the fans by the inevitable end of the night! The Scott Holt Band are real "Road Warriors" playing over 250 gigs a year. This obviously means they are touring constantly, pushing their current van over 300 000 miles already. Yet, uncharacteristically, with a three day gap before they were scheduled to play in Chicago at Buddy Guys "Legends" they decided to rest and relax in Kincardine for a few days following Saturday night's show. Scott was able to sit in with Rob MacLeod at The Coast FM Monday morning for an interview coming up on "The Tuesday Night Blues Show " and the boys toured some of the local tourist sites including a few drinks at The Bruce where Tracy provided her usual warm hospitality. Their southern charm (Scott from Tennessee, Richard from Texas, Marshall from Mississippi) was always evident and they were a pleasure to host. They were certainly complimentary of our town and the people they met. With talent like theirs and such a strong fan base we can only hope that the experience was so positive, we'll be able to bring the boys back to Bruce County again!
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REVIEW - Steve Strongman, The Lounge, London, May 18, 2008
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REVIEW - Rita Chiarelli, Jubilee Hall, Walkerton, November 16, 2007
Fortunately this very intimate performance was in one of the premier venues in this area, Walkerton’s Jubilee Hall and we have to thank Mary Robinson Ramsey and her volunteers for giving the blues fans in the region another fantastic evening with a national artist. This historical gem has perfect acoustics, excellent sightlines and comfortable seating throughout the auditorium. Staff is accommodating and pleasant. The whole package is reasonably priced and the Walkerton community is to be congratulated for all its efforts to preserve this facility. Rita was accompanied by Pappa John King who also plays in the Memphis Brothers, backing Danny Brooks. John played up here in Kincardine last June with Danny Brooks and then more recently with him in London so we’ve had a couple of other opportunities to see him in the last few months. He is a gifted musician in his own right and one of my favourite slide guitar players. Listening and watching Rita perform, backed by Pappa John King, drew me to naturally think of Danny Brooks. Rita, like Danny, sings with a growl, a passion, an intensity and with such physical expression you know it’s personal and with commitment. Her writing is just as moving as the lyrics in Danny’s songs but stripped of his hope and faith. Rita will freely admit she’s depressing but she’s okay with that and jokes that we’re not going to hear many happy songs tonight. Much of her playlist came from her "Breakfast at Midnight" CD, a compilation of originals that showcases her writing talents. My favourite was the achingly poignant "I Can Change for You" with its desperation, but then there was the more up tempo "Horse of a Different Colour" and a slower version of "Never Been Loved Before" which her mother apparently decided was Italian. We got to hear her beautiful ballads "Since I’ve Had You on My Mind" and "Last Train" with an emphatic and foot stompin’ version of "Loving You (Is Killing Me)". The night also included some new tunes that haven’t been recorded but she wanted to try out (or in the case of those tracks taped last week with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, recorded but not released). And we also got to listen to her covers of such classics as Dylan’s "Highway 61" and other blues hits as "Driving Wheel", "Nobody Knows" and then in her encore, a rousing version of Kristofferson’s "Me and Bobby Magee", done Joplin style. Rita was introduced as an artist that combines Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge and I can agree with that. I heard all three great singers at times throughout Rita’s performance during the night but she is more than anything an original Canadian blues singer. If I was going to draw any comparisons I still kept thinking Danny Brooks the most. Media refer to her as "The Goddess" of Canadian blues but I’m not as comfortable with that. The term "Goddess" sounds too refined and with Rita it’s the rawness of her singing that stands out. She is down and dirty blues, invoking smoke- filled, whiskey smelling, juke joints. A friend of mine, Rowan Poots out of London, booked Rita into his blues bar, The Other Side, back in the 80’s and recalls Rita belting out the blues standing on top of the bar! That’s not how a goddess behaves but boy I wish I was there that night, that’s how I would want to see Rita play! Again, my appreciation to the good people over at the Jubilee Hall for giving us this opportunity to hear the blues from a lady who I believe, when listening to her lyrics, has lived the blues. Now I gotta check her website to see how far we need to travel to hear her again. Hopefully she was serious when she told us she’s like some land around Bruce County to settle down …. how awesome would that be! |
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REVIEW
- Jerome Godboo w/ Shawn
Kellerman, Alec Fraser, Al Cross Bruce Bar and Grill, November 10, 2007
"What an amazing evening at the
Bruce Inn with Jerome Godboo and his band and his gal! What an amazing
entertainer! He really puts the sexy in the blues with his powerful harp
playing, singing and expressive moves and dancing! I was totally
enjoying the glory of it all! Excellent evening! I count it a serious credit to have people in my local area that work diligently to bring such top notch players to our community !! " --Raylene |
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REVIEW - Anthony Gomes, Fireside Cafe, September 17, 2007
Anthony had more than a few surprises for us in the evening. Anthony has had a couple of band changes since we saw him at the London Bluesfest in July. Biscuit Miller, his long time bass player and crowd favourite, has left the band with David Karns stepping up to provide the pivotal bass line to Anthony's songs. This performance also introduced us to Peter Lang, his new drummer. Todd "Church" Harmic, one time keyboardist for another high energy performer, Tinsley Ellis, continues to pound piano and organ for Gomes. With a new bass player and drummer you'd expect a few hiccups in the evening but this crew had obviously worked out all the kinks in practice and the performance was as tight as the surroundings. Yet there was a subtle difference to the show. Anthony kicked open the night (literally!) with "Are You Ready", complete with blistering guitar licks, stage strutting and raw vocals you come to expect. But it wasn't too long before he also showed us a gentler, almost jazz infused side to the evening, especially accentuated with a long solo from Harmic on "Stand Up". He really brought out his poetic side on plaintive ballads like "When the Right Woman Does You Wrong" but, just when you might drift off in introspective thoughts, he kicked you outta your chair with a hard-driving tune like "Music is the Medicine" which closed out the opening 75 minute set. After a short break Anthony introduced us to another beautiful ballad "Long Way Home" which most wouldn't recognize unless they had the limited edition CD of the same name. But, like I said above, this was immediately followed up with the powerful "Testify", again bringing the crowd to their feet. The whole second set, like the first, had a great mix of familiar funky soul tunes like "Do What You Do" "Blinddog" and "Unity", or his searing, protest song "War on War" with gentler, and in some cases, entirely new southern rock ballads like "I'm Loosing You". Now based out of Nashville and with the recent band change ups, I'm wondering if, in fact, Anthony might be drifting into a more southern blues-rock flow (some tunes echoing Marshall Tucker almost) but we'll have to wait for his new CD to be sure. David and Linda have to be thanked for giving us these opportunities to hear such an incredible performer in such an up close intimate and comfortable surrounding. And did I mention the meal? Yes, The Fireside Cafe also offers a 5 star menu and makes the drive over to Wingham worthwhile in itself. Keep in touch with these BCB members and don't miss their next booking at their venue. |
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REVIEW - Danny Brooks and The Memphis Brothers, Saturday, June 9, 2007 Saturday night, June 9th and the blues fans at the Bruce Bar and Grill, Kincardine, were treated to one of the best live shows of the year. Danny Brooks poured out his energy and talent with vocals, guitar & harmonica with a passion that had the crown clapping, whistling, and cheering wildly from the first song.
The first time I
saw Danny was in an Orangeville restaurant where he was accompanied by
friend Dean McTaggert, a talented entertainer & songwriter for Amanda
Marshall. That show was excellent. He is often accompanied as a duo by
Dennis Pinhorn on Bass or a gospel group The
Rockin’ Revelators.
Danny is a great bluesmen, he is authentic, and tells the truth of his experience in a personal, intense, raspy, powerful, singing voice that he knows how to use. He sang classic gospel and many he wrote such as “You’ll Find A Way”…. “Sometimes you have to hit the wall before you see the light of day” ... and “Down On My Knees” with the conviction he once used to fight his way clear of a self-confessed 20 year fog of addictions. “I like to sing and shout when I’m happy”, and that happy feeling is infectious, whatever your faith or lack thereof. That happy feeling is what people took home with them from the Bruce Bar & Grill, and that is a great gift. He put together a group of musicians for this show that were so professional you would swear they had played together forever, although it was the first time the drummer had been with them: Danny Brooks with vocals, guitar, and harmonica led the show, and he set a sound level that was just perfect for the room, putting passion in every note, phrase and movement. Dennis Pinhorn played bass, and sang, performing like he just loved being there. Michael Sloski on drums put the rhythm where it belonged without the amplification and crashing overwhelming noise we usually get from many unprofessional drummers. Papa John King’s electric guitar sound varied from a rock-blues, to honky tonk twang and even simulated a violin at times. Ed Zankowski’s tenor sax brought smiles to many faces. I can usually find something about an entertainer or band that interferes with my enjoyment, but not this night, … this group was right on top of their game …..awesome! I can see why live CD’s are popular, but you can never capture the smiles flashing from person to person, the dance moves, the spontaneity of it all, or the feeling in the room. “Those boys could play the blues, it ‘don’t’ get better than that”. Ted Smith
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REVIEW -
Garrett Mason, Bruce Bar and Grill, Friday April 13, 2007 There was nothing unlucky for the 150 blues fans who joined us at the Bruce on Friday 13th to hear the young Juno Award winning blues guitarist from the East Coast, Garrett Mason. This boy was hot! and enthusiastically received by everyone, especially those who wanted to dance! One of our guests passed on this review: "What a great guitarist! The best artist so far as voted by the "Afters" gang....Garrett is related to the Armstrongs in Ripley Onatrio! Never know where family will show up! A fantastic jump up and dance gig! Lots of fun...we hope he comes back for the Kincardine Reunion if not before!! We're hoping the opportunity to bring Garrett back comes up as well.... maybe as early as this fall! |
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REVIEW:
On Wednesday, March 7,
we provided the elementary school children of St. Anthony’s, KTTS and
Huron Heights with a live performance of the Chris Murphy Blues Band
featuring Denise Pelley. Performing with Chris was Maple Blues Award
winner Ted Leonard, Ted Pea Our Blues in the Schools programme is an important educational contribution to our community and we really appreciate the financial support of area businesses that helped make this possible. We acknowledge the incredible support and promotion from our community radio station, The Coast FM as well as the following individuals and businesses: Frank Pearce Skate Sharpening, Mary Rose and Danny Graham, Mary Rose Graham Day Spa, Diva Graphics, Lorenzo Casey, Baxter’s Row Fashions, Jerome Flowers and Gifts, Bruce Bar and Grill, The Hair Connection |
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REVIEW - 1st Anniversary Celebration a HUGE Success! On
Saturday, March 17th at the Sutton Park Inn
over 250 Jack de Keyser fans and members of the Bruce County
Chapter of the CSBS gathered to celebrate our 1st.
Anniversary. Mike Kim and his staff at the Sutton Park did an
exceptional job hosting this event and certainly contributed to the
success of the evening. And the band! Chris Murphy, sax, who was in town earlier in the week with Denise Pelley and his own band for our Blues in the Schools programme, was enthusiastic about returning to Kincardine so soon. Jack, who played here last June was also excited to return to Bruce County where the blues really rocks! Jack, a 5 time Juno Award winner, played many of the tunes from his 2003 CD Six String Lover and his recent live CD Silver Blues. Dave Colter on drums and Alan Duffy on bass rounded out the 4 piece combo. Jack always rewards a receptive audience and he certainly did on Saturday night. The busy dance floor was kept on its feet as Jack and the band played well past their endtime with at least 3 encore tunes. It was St. Patrick’s Day, a night when the blues were green and everyone was Irish! |
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© 2007
Dave Taylor